It started when flames broke out in a multi-family house under construction on Merrick Street just before 4 a.m.

A man who had been working on the home was sleeping there at the time. He escaped safely.

But the fire jumped to five houses nearby, melting the vinyl siding and blowing out some windows.

“I opened the bedroom door and across the room, the kitchen, through that window there was nothing but flames. So I just grabbed my shirt and my pants and I got out of there and it was horrific. It was like a nightmare.” resident Steven Milkman told WBZ-TV.

No one was hurt, but 20 people were forced out of their apartments.

In all, one building was destroyed, two were gutted and three others were damaged.